The Silver Lining of an Underling
by Porpol
Summary: Dating a tomboy is usually hard. Dating a feisty girl is usually even harder. Dating a tomboy that's also a feisty girl that also used to be part of an evil organization? It's going to be a cold day in hell.
1. Chapter 1 - Shoplifting

**Hey everyone. Here's something completely different from what I usually do. Not a one-shot. Not a new chapter to Ruination. Just a little side-fic of some random SI getting matched with 'Mouse-Girl'. I was looking for something different to do other than work on my main story, so a friend suggested I'd do this. **

**As a disclaimer, this isn't going to be a max-effort project. Just something for fun. So I don't know how often I'll update this… if at all.**

**With that said, let's get right into it.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Shoplifting**

Sometimes I wonder how I keep getting myself involved in messes like these. Running away from an overweight cop? All because of a stolen can of beer? While onlookers don't even bother to step in? Yep. I have no idea how this ended up happening.

Let's retrace my steps.

My name is Nathan Pride. I'm a seventeen-year-old dropout with nothing special going for him other than being completely average.

My story begins where all good stories begin: your local dollar store.

Being a minimum wage worker at a restaurant doesn't exactly leave you with a lot of money to sustain yourself. So I'm cutting corners wherever possible.

Loading several packs of instant noodles into my shopping tray, I heave a sigh. How much longer can I keep going with nothing but noodles on the menu? Do I really want to find out?

Moving on…

Next, I stop by what I refer to as the 'booze isle'. I need at least something to help me keep the cheap food down. And what better way to do it than with cheap watered down beer.

My hand races over the various brands, guiding my eyes as it explores.

"Where is it… Where is it," I mumble before taking hold my favourite (read: the cheapest) brand. I quickly start loading nearly the entire supply before turning around with a satisfied grin. It's going to be a cold day in hell.

Though, before I can even consider moving to the cashier, I am met with the gaze of a girl no older than myself. Her burning red eyes compliment that toxic green hairstyle and her oversized mouse hoodie. Not to mention her… interesting skin tone. And no, that's not me being racist. In fact, I don't think you can be racist against someone with ashen grey skin.

Is she a vampire or something?

The Vampire girl stands frozen in my view. I'm not entirely sure why, but she's looking at me as if I'm growing a second head out of my shoulder.

Soon, I realise what her problem is. My eyes trail down and see a large lump of something unnatural under her hoodie. Considering she has her hand over it, I can only assume she's carrying something.

And considering she's standing in the booze isle's 'treasure trove', where all the expensive brands are stashed, I assume that she's just like me and has no money to pay for such fine refreshments.

Our eyes meet once more. She's practically pleading for me to not rat her out. The nerve! These actions cannot be left unanswered! What kind of citizen would I be if I ignore such treason!?

I slowly walk up to her. Each step I take shoots her eyes in a different direction. As I stand beside her, I lean a little closer, smacking my lips once before I speak. "Hello," I greet before walking past her.

A citizen that dropped out of school and lives off instant noodles. That's what I'd be.

If she wants to steal some beer to buy other necessities, I fully support her cause.

There's but a short line consisting of an old lady and a man in a business suit before me. The moment the elderly woman has paid, I feel the presence of the Vampire girl behind me. I glance over, shooting her a questioning look before I realise that she's not carrying any other supplies, safe for the stolen goods under her hoodie.

What's she trying to do? Does she want to look suspicious or something!? Don't get in line without buying anything and with such an obvious lump under your hoodie!

I shake my head at her and silently tell her that she's standing out like this. Yet, she takes a step closer to me, leaving but a few inches between my back and herself.

And then it clicked.

She's trying to blend in with me. Because I'm actually buying something. That way she doesn't have to buy anything herself. She really is… clever. But if she gets caught, I'm going to pretend I don't know her.

The businessman pays for his groceries and steps out of the line. Oh boy. Here we go.

A friendly smile compliments the cashier's warm welcome. "Good evening."

I nod and begin unloading my items. The Vampire girl practically hides behind me, to ensure the cashier won't catch on to her ploy. I feel a can of cold beer pressing against my liver… Quite literally. There's some metaphor in there somewhere.

The cashier is none the wiser. She scans all of my items, offering me a kind smile those times our gazes connected.

An eternity later and she's done. "That'll be twenty credits, sir."

She snaps me out of my tension. I pat myself down for my wallet before remembering I don't even have one. Rather, I just carry some loose change on me at all times.

I drop a handful of credits in her hand. She counts the coin before smiling once more. "Thank you. Have a nice day you two."

You two… Yeah. She fell for it. I feel bad for her, but at the same time, I don't. It's her fault for not noticing the massive lump of stolen goods behind my back. I'm just an innocent bystander in this situation.

She packs my items in a white bag before handing them to me. Okay, now I do kind of feel bad for her. She didn't deserve this.

The Vampire girl and I walk away together. I can feel my heart beating faster and faster with anxiety. Are we really getting away with this?

"Sir?" The cashier calls after me. Shoot!

Mid-step, we both turn around. "Y-Yes?"

"Would you like a receipt?"

I blankly stare at her, blinking twice before I face away. "No thank you!" I cry out perhaps a little too aggressively. Why is my eyebrow twitching like that?

The Vampire girl and I throttle out of the store and we both let out a breath of relief. I should start writing my will, because that experience stolen several years of my life.

I turn to my left, looking down at the punk girl. She doesn't look thankful in the slightest. I mean, I didn't expect to get a standing ovation, but she could at least show me some gratitude. Then again, maybe the fact she hasn't sunken her sharp teeth into my neck is her way of saying thank you.

Yeah, no, that's probably all I'm getting.

I coyly smile at her regardless. "Well… Enjoy your booze."

Probably not the best parting words, but what else am I supposed to tell a total stranger that I helped in a heist on the treasure trove of booze isle.

It takes a few more steps before I hear the Vampire girl call me back. So that's what her voice sounds like.

"Hey!"

"Hm?"

I look back. She's holding one of the cans up in her hand. "Catch."

With a perfect arch, the beer flies into my hand. '_Graggy Ice_' the label read. Some of the PC Continent's finest beer. Expensive with a capital E. You're supposed to 'drink it with your bros from Bro-macia'... Or so it goes.

This is… Hey. This isn't such a bad reward. I'll take it. I mean, it's but one can, but a good one at that. Yep. It _will_ be a cold day in hell.

A nod and a smile is all I give her as a thank you. She does the same, but with far more confidence in her expression. And just like that, she wanders off.

"... That was… something." I place my bag of groceries beside me and pop open the can of Graggy Ice. Jerking my head back, I chug half the can in one go. Oh man. This stuff is as good as they say it is.

With a pleasured "ahhh", I lower the can. Oh man. This stuff really is good. And it's already… Whew… It's already taking… effect. Oh man. I'm seeing double already. Someone stop shaking me.

"Hey! You!"

A deep voice behind me catches my attention. A man in uniform. Overweight. And very angry. Uh-oh. Looks like we didn't fool anyone with our shoplifting antics. Quick. Gotta make up an excuse.

"I didn't steal anything!"

Perfect.

He gives me a confused look before pointing at my beer. "I was… Sir, I was going to tell you off for publicly drinking."

… Oh.

His frown returns. "Sir. Do these items belong to you? Do you have a receipt?"

A receipt? Sure I do!

…

Oh wait.

"Errr…"

Cold sweat started to run down my spine.

"I see… Sir, could you please come with me? I need to ask you a few more questions."

That line was enough to sober me up again. I blink and nod back at the officer as I reach down for my bag.

As soon as I get it, only one line is on my mind.

"_Leg it, Nathan!_"

I run off as fast as my legs can carry me. Which isn't as fast as I had hoped, as I'm still a little tipsy from that beer. What was _in_ that thing!?

The officer retrieves his whistle and blows it. "Halt! Stop! In the name of the law!"

I can feel his pursuit on me. He doesn't close the distance, yet he manages to keep up with me. Damn it. If only I didn't drink that stuff! It's too strong for someone like me!

And… Well… I guess that's how I ended up here. The lesson of today is that you shouldn't drink and shoplift at the same time.


	2. Chapter 2 - Black Market

**Chapter 2: Black Market**

Games. A primary product in the land of Gamindustri. The Goddesses depend on its production and wish for all their followers to legally acquire them so the industry can keep flourishing.

And yet, here I am heading for the black market in the most shady-looking back alley of the nation.

I'm a cheapskate, in case that wasn't clear from the last time. I need the money for my rent.

Hands in my pocket, I wander into the alley like it's a second home. A few turns later and I am met with an unwelcome iron fence gate, rusted from the bottom and its latch fused to the post. I can already see a few stalls scattered across the opening, selling various illegal products. Weapons. Drugs. Pirated games. There's even a forger in the mix.

Hey, when I said black _market_, I meant an actual market of illegal products.

It's not often I come here, really. And I just so happened to learn about this place by overhearing a conversation between two co-workers talking about it.

If anything, I only come here when I absolutely need something. In this case, I need the new Super Mayro Maker 2 for the Lowee Swap… Look, I didn't think of the name either. And whoever did must've been high on ketamine. But I can't deny the quality of the game either. Just thinking about it is making me want to play it.

There's plenty of intimidating individuals around this place. I make sure to make no eye contact with any of them. Not unless I'm thinking of buying something.

Finally, I find what I'd been looking for—The scarce stalls with games. One of the owners gives me a glare matching that of an eagle… That or his face just molten in that expression.

"What ya lookin' for, sonny," he asks with a coarse voice. Clearly a smoker.

"Just some Lowee title," I reply without bothering to look up at him. "A new one. Wouldn't happen to have anything that meets that criteria, would you?"

He smacks his lips twice. As he didn't speak up, I shoot him a glance.

"Nothin' but Lastation junk here. Care for some Deity of War 2? Spiral: Year of the Dragoon? Or how 'bout some Deroid: becoming Inhuman? That one's new… Relatively… Or how about a new console? I got more in the back."

I raise my hand. "No thanks. I'm here for the Lowee stuff and nothing else."

His already grumpy face sours up even more. "Two stalls over. Look for a girl that looks like she died ten years ago but hasn't caught up yet."

An odd image fills my mind, followed by a reference of a popular anime. Fist of the Southern Cross, I think it was…?

"Yeah… Thanks."

As I walk off, I can feel his glare burn a hole in the back of my head. Yeesh… Best to never come back here after I'm done. This place always gives me the chills.

A few steps later and my eye catches on to the expansive selection of games. Titles of nearly all nations cover the table, ranging from old titles to new ones. Most look in relatively good shape. A few have a scratch on the cover, but that's easily overlooked, considering they all go for half of the store price at most.

"Nice…" I utter. There's a spark of hope in the back of my mind. There's so many titles here, including some of the latest ones, there's no way they won't have it!

"Hey!" I call as I look up. The stall owner has her back turned to me… Wait. She looks familiar.

"Huh? What do you want?" She calls, turning to face me. Red eyes. Green hair. Ashen-grey skin.

We both fall silent until we point at each other.

"The Vampire Girl!"

"The Baby-faced dolt!"

…

…

Huh?

What did she just call me?

Babyface?

What even-... Why? I have a five o'clock shadow. Or at least, I had one. I forgot to shave that morning. How the hell is that a babyface!?

To defend my case, I take a breath and open my mouth, but the Vampire Girl beats me to the punch. "What the hell!? Who are you calling a vampire? Like… Mouse-girl. I can get it. Underling? Maybe. _Vampire_!? You're just asking for trouble!"

"Says the one that just called me a babyface. I don't even see why you'd say that. Like… C'mon, man. Give me a break."

"Oh, so I look like a vampire to you then, huh? I'd watch it if I were you because that neck of yours is looking really tasty right about now."

I know she's mocking me, but I can't help but point out the obvious. "Aren't you proving my point? I mean, with eyes as red as yours and skin like that… I don't mean to be offensive, but you're like a modern vampire in my eyes… Pretty cool, actually." I mumbled that last part.

She folds her arms and clicks her tongue. "Tsk. Whatever. What do you want? I'm fresh out of Graggy Ice if that's why you're here."

Oh. Right, I almost forgot. "Nah, nah. I mean, if you got more, I'll gladly take it."

"Not a chance."

"Hm. Alright. How about some Super Mayro Maker 2 then?"

There's a positive shift in her expression. "Oh. You're here as a patron?"

"Mhm. You heard me."

She wryly smiles, reaching under her stall and pulling up a box. "I got you. This is all I got."

"T-That's-... My god…"

The width of my eyes increases as I gaze upon the box. It's nothing less than the collectors edition! With the game, an art book, several amyybo's that were released along with the game, and an honorary 'Builder's Coin,' signed by Lady White Heart herself. Those coins alone go for a fortune on the web!

I look back at the Vampire girl and recompose myself. "A-ahem… Yes… Yes, I see… Uhh, well, it's just the-... collectors edition… Err, how much do you want for it."

She puts a hand on her hip and leans on the table, inching towards me. "We're talking about a lot of digits here. I ain't stupid. This thing's the real deal and you know it."

I sigh. Yep. Should've known she wouldn't fall for it. "I got no more than a hundred. One-twenty if I skip lunch and dinner for the next two days. Don't you have the actual game? Without all the extra stuff?"

She shakes her head. "This is all I got. The game just got out yesterday. I mean, tomorrow, maybe. It's just that the boys grabbed the most expensive box first."

Oh… It's stolen. Somehow, I'm not surprised. If anything, I wonder why I didn't think of that, considering the massive discounts all these things have.

Yeah, there is no way I'm ever going to afford this one. I'll have to pass up on it. I know I can't ask for her to just give me the game either and nothing else. There's value in all those pieces together. Especially if the box is unopened. It ensures quality.

"Sorry, Vampy. It's a few too many digits for my taste." My hands drop into my pockets as a I shrug. "No deal."

I can tell she's not too happy with it, but what can I do about it? Buy the ridiculously expensive game and go into debt?

"Fine. Is there anything else _sir_ wants?"

I don't like the way she said sir, but whatever. "Nah. I was just testing my luck with that one game. I'll guess I'll go and find myself an actual copy."

She blankly stares at me before responding. "Sure. Whatever. See if I care."

One nod later and I turn around. As I walk away I feel a bit guilty for not even buying anything. Even if she and I quite literally only met twice now, it felt as if I just pushed a brother under the train…

…

…

…

That or I'm being overly dramatic. Besides, it's not like she won't sell the thing. Plenty of people around here would buy it for the price she'd offer.

"Hey!" I hear her call out. I look over my shoulder back at her.

"Alright. What if… What if I cut you a deal?"

If she asks me for my soul, we're bailing, boys. "A deal?" I repeat in a questioning tone.

"Yeah! Let's say… you give me all the cash you can afford to cough up. Do that and I'll… 'consider' giving you a discount. Sound fair?"

Hm? Huh. Crazy. She's letting me have this thing for not even half the actual price. I mean, I get when you're doing it with a game that's just fifty credits or so… But this thing? It would go for at least ten times that amount.

"H-hey… You sure about that?"

She shrugs. "I said I'd consider it. Let's see the cash first, alright?"

I walk back to her nodding several times. My hand goes down into my pocket and I just grab a hold of everything in there. There's now a total sum of one-hundred and twenty five credits on the table… Yes. Five more, for those of you keen-eyed people. I was going to buy some gum with it later.

She leans over and begins counting. Oh, please, let this not be enough. I need food to sustain myself for the next few days and I know I'll regret buying this if I do.

She looks back up at me… and grins. Shit. Sorry future-me. You're either gonna starve or be behind on your rent… again.

"Alright, I guess that'll do. Here. Just take it."

She slides the box towards me… It feels so good, yet so bad to buy this thing now.

With my hand put on the top, I slide it closer. It doesn't feel like it weighs much. I could probably carry it under my arm. And so I will.

"Y-Yeah… Thanks," I utter as I take the box. "And, uh, what are you gonna do with all that cash?"

My first mistake was asking a thief what she is going to do with her earnings. My second was not realising my first.

She looks at me rather threateningly. "Like hell I'd tell you. If you don't want to be found with a knife between your ribs in some alley with rats infesting your body—"

"An awfully graphic and detailed description…" I mutter.

"—then you better be sure not to tell anyone how much you got… or where you are going to spend it."

"Right, right, I get it, I get it," I say with a hand raised, waving it off. "Just don't spend it all one place, okay?"

A rather long-lasting pause comes from the vampire-like girl. Maybe I've waited too long for her response, but as I take a breath to say my goodbye, she interrupts me.

"Gonna spend most of it on the ramen stand just outside the alley. Girl's gotta eat right."

I laugh. "And the girl's made a good choice. The guy that serves there has a perfectionism complex. Every bowl he makes has to be 'perfect'. You're in for a good meal."

She nods back at me before what I presume was a question to mock me. "Wanna tag along?"

My response is to deadpan at her and speak with a rather cold tone. "I just told you I have to skip several meals for several days."

"Drinks are on me."

"What time are we leaving?"

And not an hour later, I was out for a night of debauchery with no money whatsoever. Now, if you are like me, you had to look up what the word debauchery means. Well, if you did… Let's just say that I was wrong and just got a bunch of alcohol. It'll be a cold day in hell...

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**So somehow this story blew up to be the second most popular story I wrote here. I dunno how it happened, but what I do know is that, on its first chapter, this zero effort fic has more favs and follows than on the first chapter of anything else I have written. Crazy…**

**Well, if people show their continued support, I guess this one could be kicked up to be higher on my priority list. I mean, if people demand it, why keep them waiting for another two months?**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one. See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Date

**Chapter 3 - Date**

Well… Here we are. My first 'date' with this girl… Or so I would have called it if it weren't for the fact that she was slurping away at a delicious-looking bowl of noodles while I am left with some water.

Clever girl. 'Drinks are on me' she said. Drinks are on me, my ass. Water's free here. Don't order water for someone else when you promise to get them a drink!

One sigh later, I look up from her half-empty bowl of food. We're in your run of the mill ramen restaurant. Red lanterns with some Japanese… things on them. One large wooden bar for customers to sit at with the sole owner behind it. And to top it all off, the delicious aroma of mouth watering ramen that fills the air in this place… Just being here is making me hungry.

The place is empty, safe for the three of us: me, the Vampire girl and the owner.

"So. Enjoying the food?" I ask, trying to spark some sort of conversation.

She's in the middle of slurping up numerous strands of noodles. With a gulp, she looks back at me as the all have disappeared in that black hole of hers. Does she even chew?

"Mm. Yeah, it's alright. Food tastes better with friends, huh?"

She stares at me before shooting a look at my sorry glass. With a light chuckle, she goes back to eating.

Sure. Laugh it up while you can. Joke's on you! I didn't want any booze anyway…

With a dry tone I state "Too bad none of them are here."

When she's done slurping, she retorts "Whatever. Food tastes better with the money of others. There. Happy now?"

"I don't think anything you say is going to make me happy, Vampy."

Mid-bite, she stops. "Will you just stop calling me that? I got a name, y'know."

"Really?" I sarcastically ask, leaning forward with a raised eyebrow. "Huh. Could've had me fooled… Vampy."

"Oh. So you wanna play like that?" She drops her fork into her bowl and lazily points at me. "Two can play that game, Baby-face… No. Scratch that. B-Face. That's what I'm gonna call you!"

B-Face? I get that is alludes to 'Baby-Faced dolt' again, but… It actually has a nice ring to it. If anything, I kind of like it.

Of course, if she knew that, she'll find something more humiliating or irritating to call me by, so I decide to chime along.

"Please don't call me B-Face," I retort, trying to show as much dislike for the nickname as possible.

The trap set, Vampy walked straight into it and was never any the wiser. She grins and leans back into her seat with one arm resting over the back. "Sucks, doesn't it? Too bad. That's who you are to me now."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Vampy…" I quietly mock.

"B-Face."

There's a bit of an awkward pause between us—the silence was only broken by the rather generic Japanese music quietly playing in the background. My eyes divert down to her bowl of mostly finished food. There's still at least five bites left.

"Are you going to finish that?" I ask with a careful tone.

After blinking her eyes twice, she looks down at her food, then back to me. With a tisk, she shoved the bowl to my end of the bar.

Who knew. Vampy here knows how to share. Next she'll tell me she actually has a soul… Okay. Less mocking. More showing gratitude.

"Thanks…" I say with a clear voice, picking the fork from the bowl. It's a bit sticky… Either she has very sweaty hands or she accidentally dropped it in the bowl when I wasn't looking.

After half a bite, I learn it was the former. This stuff is _spicy_! I grunt lightly and suck cold air through the corner of my mouth. Hot! Hot!

Somehow, I retain my stoic expression… but I can feel a fine layer of sweat forming over my brow and on the back of my neck.

Vampy is clueless of my pain. She speaks in a light, but somewhat bothered tone. "So this is what it came down to. We're gonna keep calling each other those nicknames until one of us caves in and tells the other their name."

I take another bite from the spicy bowl of noodles and barely take notice of what she tells me. I just nod and smile. Nod and smile… Nod… Smile… Nod… Water… Need water…

With a tisk, she continues. "Whatever… You holding it together there, B-Face? Your face is all red and… Wait. Are you crying?" Her grin evident, she glances at me with a side-eye.

"D-Dunno what you're… t-talking 'bout va-... Ahem… Vampy…"

"Oh, I think you do. Getting too hot for you, light weight?"

Grunting audibly, I shove the bowl back to her. "Shut up," I utter before chugging some water. I let the coolness swirl in my mouth for a moment before gulping it down. Ugh. That didn't help much… "Not all of us love spicy food, alright?"

Before I know it, my glass runs dry and I have to ask for a second. Is it me or are both Vampy and the owner judging me?

Feeling the cold sense of awkwardness in the air, I come to realise it's the latter. Perhaps now's a good time as ever to change the subject.

"So how'd you end up in a back alley selling stolen wares for a living?" I bring up. It's actually something I've been thinking about ever since we walked away from that stall. No one goes out of their way to become a criminal because they want to, right?

Her piercing red eyes meet my hazel eyes and shoot them a gaze equal to that of a wolf.

"What did I just tell you not even an hour ago?"

"Not to ask where you're going to spend your money?"

Her silent gaze tells me to just stop. Yeah… Alright. Probably a poor call to ask about someone's backstory if they clearly are in some pretty shitty life…

I gaze down with clicking my tongue. "Nah. Never mind… Forget I asked."

A short pause follows as I sip from my water again.

In a quiet voice she asks me "What about you then? How'd you end up buying off the black market with no real money to spare?"

A simple question with a simple answer. "Dropout," I state with no hesitation. "Just messed up thrice and then decided to drop it. Working as a waiter in your some random restaurant."

"A dropout, huh?" She repeats, inspecting me again. I'm not sure how my appearance is going to change with what I just told her. Good lord, I feel like she's staring at me like I'm the scum of the nation.

"You can stop staring now," I state sternly.

Her eyes shoot the other way. "Tsk. Whatever, man... I guess you wanna hear 'bout me now…"

In all honesty? Not really… but I might as well humour her and see what kind of dark and edgy backstory Vampy can think of.

I shrug and gesture for her to continue. "I'm listening."

That defiant look had been replaced by one of discomfort. She rested her arm on the table and used her free hand to stir the remains of her spicy noodles with her fork. Anyone could tell that she was recalling some bad memories.

"Let's just say I got involved with some bad people. And the bad people got CPU'd into oblivion."

"What, you mean ASIC?" I reply jokingly, trying to lift the mood.

Her lack of response twists my laughter to regret. "Oh… I-I see…"

ASIC: Arfoire's Syndicate of International Crime. They were some big time criminals, practically ruling the criminal underworld. Then they went too far, got the attention of the CPUs and-... Well. The rest is history.

That's all I know at least. Some people say the CPUs were held captive for three years. Honestly? I believe it. Why else would they hide their faces for three years?

Well… Exposition aside… It's not a big deal. How high are the chances that this girl was a top dog in there? She probably was some sort of underling...Yeah. She even looks like one.

There's a silence between us before she stands up. "I gotta go." She turns to the owner and hands him a sum of money. "Here."

As she walks away, I can faintly hear her tell me "catch you later…"

I get that she'd rather not talk about it—ASIC had a very poor reputation after all—but don't you think she's overreacting? Ah well…

Turning back to my glass, he lift it up to my lips and let the cold refreshments quench my thirst.

"Yeah… Catch you later, Vampy… See you on that cold day in hell."

* * *

**Yeah... Turns out people really like this one. Go figure.**

**Anyway, there you go. The third chapter of this fic. Looking back, I feel like it's a bit all over the place, but I kind of like it this way. I don t intend on making these chapters too long. Does that justify me for rushing it? No, not really. But I got no other excuses.  
**

**Oh. I should probably mention that it's 100% that the saying "It will be a cold day in hell" is misused every single time in this fic, with the exception of the summary. Just something I wanted to clarify. I do know what it means... Poor Nathan does not.**

**Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Concussion

**Chapter 4 - Concussion**

Another day, another six hours I had to spend taking orders from pompous customers.

Yeah. Alright. So a little about me and my job. It does pay as badly as I make it out to be. And while I keep saying it's minimum wage, it's not. It just feels like it.

Turns out four digits at the end of a month can quickly turn into two digits if you don't look out. Life is expensive… Why didn't anyone tell me!?

Jokes aside… Yes. I have quite a handful of fixed charges. Rent. Food. Heat. Water. Electricity. Heck, even things as small as soap and cleaning degens are added to that list. Seriously, how do they expect anyone to live with all of this crap on their plate?

Regardless, I'm done for today and I've kicked my monthly salary up by a few numbers again. I get paid by the hour, after all.

Wandering home in my work clothes (I was late, so I dressed myself in my waiter uniform to spare myself some extra time), I pass another alley on my way.

From within the alley, a girlish voice shout: "Found her! Get over here, everyone!"

"What the-..." I utter before slowly wandering into the alley. Usually I try not to get involved with this stuff. But I'm curious to see whether this is a cop chase or a straight up beating.

…

In hindsight, if it were the latter, I'd probably risk getting the same treatment if they spotted me. Why didn't I think of that _before_ turning the corner.

Looking down the deadend, I spot numerous things. For starters, a brunette with a long blue coat with her back to me, facing the back wall. Second, Vampy. Cornered-Animal-Vampy-Eh. CAVE for short… Couldn't find something for the E, so 'Eh' it is.

Finally… Is that a knife or **something?** The girl in blue has not one, but two knives of some sort. And from the way they look and the way she's wielding them… I can only conclude she's a Guild Agent.

Those pests. Always playing hero and trying to do the work of the cops. Their job description inclines taking on quests. Gathering or killing. Not capturing outlaws. That's a bounty hunter…

While I'm having my exposition, I am brought back to reality by a quick yell from Vampy. "Damn it… Alright, you broad. You wanna do this the hard way then!? I'll smash that pretty face of your into a pulp!"

Vampy pulls a lead pipe from behind her back. She rests it over her shoulder and takes a more aggressive stance.

Shit. Someone could get hurt here if I don't do something…

I mean, I don't care for the agent. But I don't want Vampy ending up beaten by her and then ending up in jail.

My eyes glance down and search the ground. An old, loose brick rests beside my left foot. Without even thinking twice, I pick it up and weigh it in my hand. I look back at the brunette and Vampy.

Welp. Let's see if I still got it.

I pull my brick back and with full force, I toss it at the back of the brunette's head.

"Alright. Let's g—"

**THUD**

The brunette spasms and drops to the concrete floor face first. Huh. Yeah. Guess dodgeball really is like riding a bike like coach used to say. You never forget how to throw a ball… or a brick, for that matter.

Vampy's crimson eyes meet mine with clear surprise. Before she can say anything, I speak up. "What is it with you and needing me to pull your sorry ass out of the shitter every single time!?"

"B-Face!?"

"Vampy!"

She looks down at the brunette with disdain. When she passes her, she kicks her in the ribs twice before looking back to me. Ouch…

"The hell are you doing here? I didn't need your help, y'know!?"

"You're fucking welcome," I spat before looking over my shoulder. "Forget it. Let's get out of here before more show up. She didn't shout for help if there weren't more of those pests around."

She clicks her tongue and looks back to the body of the Guild Agent. "You live nearby? Don't have any good hiding places around this part of town."

Grunting as I respond, I put a hand in my apron's pocket. "Just down the street. Motel NMH. Some guy with a knock-off lightsaber runs it… Heard he's a ranked assassin."

"Didn't you just say we should hurry the hell out of here?"

Vampy's stern gaze catches me off-guard. Right. Less talking, more running. "Alright, alright. C'mon. This way."

One final audible grunt is heard from the Agent as Vampy and I make our escape.

Out of the alley and back on the street, Vampy peeks around the corner as she raises an arm to stop me. "Wait…"

She looks both ways before lowering her arm again. "Alright. All clear. Hurry and take the lead."

Subconsciously I argue between shaking my head for having her order me around or nodding slowly to confirm her words. I end up awkwardly twisting my head in a random motion. Let's not think of that one for too long…

The two of us move down the street at a decent pace. Not thinking twice, I ask "so who did you piss off to get a Guild Agent to come after you?"

Her eyes shoot me a quick look. She shushes me before looking around. "Not here," she states under her breath. "Back at the motel."

Shrugging back at her, I decide to leave it at that and shut up. No need to push if she already plans on telling me.

* * *

Not even ten minutes later, we come to a lousy-looking motel. Ah yes. The NMH Motel. The neon sign barely flickers alive as the letter O in motel is simply dead.

As we move through the abandoned parking lot, we pass by a heap of litter—Vampy catches a wrapping on her shoe's sole and has to take it off by hand—and approach the front door of the 'cosy' motel room.

You know… Now that I actually brought someone along, I just realised how… unwelcoming this place is. Graffiti stains the walls which paint has long started to decay. The place reeks of whatever a slum smells like.

…

Welcome home, B-Face.

My door unlocks with a twist of my key and together we step into the darkened room. Not for long. I flip the light switch and with a two-second delay, the light sparks lazily to life.

Ah yes. My room. Two doors in the back leading to either the bedroom or the bathroom. A couch standing before a TV with two consoles wired to it… And yeah. That's about it. Sure, there's a kitchen and a small dining table with three chairs, but… Yeah. This place is just depressing.

Vampy takes a few steps forward, not even wiping her feet on the doormat. Instantly, she makes herself comfortable and plofs down on the couch.

Huh. Feels nice not having someone call this place an awful excuse for a home for once. Despite the small, clear stains of rot and-... Let's just stop there.

Sighing loudly, Vampy takes her hoodie off and grunts. I can't help but stare… Something she is quick to notice.

"What are you looking at?"

"How much for a night?" I mockingly ask.

That hateful gaze she shoots me makes me regret my taunt. I try to laugh it off with a forced chuckle, but end up looking the other way out of embarrassment. "Err…. Hungry?"

She raises an eyebrow at me. "I thought you said you had to skip food for a few days. And now you're sharing?"

"That… was two weeks ago…" I dejectedly correct.

Now she's the one looking away… I don't like the air between us. Probably should try lighten it up a little.

Once more, I ask "So want anything or what? I got some leftovers. Soup from the place I work at. They let me have it for a ridiculous discount at the end of the day."

"You're giving me two-day-old soup?"

"Three days old…" I correct quietly… I already regret my honesty. She doesn't look sad. Or insulted. Or even angered… Just disappointed.

Despite this, she quietly asks me "you gonna get me a bowl or what?"

Despite my best efforts, a sad smile forces itself upon my face. I open the fridge and take a steel pot with the near-expired leek soup in it.

As crappy as this place is, at least it has a stove. On which I place the pot.

Well… This might take some time to heat up… Might as well start asking about-... You know.

"So why were they chasing you, Vampy? I can't imagine a girl like you getting in trouble over something small. Especially not when there's a Guild Agent involved. Gotta be big."

Vampy sighs audibly. "Rub it in, will you?" Her irritated tone shifts to a more quiet speech. "I already told you I used to be part of ASIC."

A spoon in hand used to stir the soup, I turn back to the girl with a raised eyebrow. "What? You weren't some small-time grunt?"

She shakes her head. "Would an underling be on the Guild's wanted list?"

"For real!?" I exclaim with a tone of disbelief. "Wanted list? Shit…" I look back at the soup… "Yeah…. No, now you just gotta tell me how deep you got involved with those punks."

"Punks, huh?"

"N-No offense…"

A short pause before she continues with a somewhat reluctant tone. "When all the big guys above you fall, you'll become the right hand eventually. I was in charge of a lot of 'punks' for a really short time, y'know. Until _they_ killed… my boss…"

The soup bubbles. I take the spoon and stick the tip of my tongue into it… Still a little cold… "CPUs. It was all over the news about how you lot tried to revive some demonic… Well. Thing. And then the CPUs were like 'no no ASIC, you can't do that' and they basically stopped you all… Right?"

Vampy falls quiet again… I wait, but ultimately turn to check on her. She's just deadpanning at me. With a shrug, I say: "What? It's true, ain't it?"

"Every time you say it, you sound like you're mocking me. Knock it off!"

Defensively, I raise my hands. I wasn't trying to mock her or anything. Really, I just think ASIC is taking the whole 'dropout' thing too far. Heck. I got tangled up with a few ASIC goons some time ago. Got out of there as soon as I could. You could smell the bad vibes coming from them from a mile away… So, yes. I may be judging Vampy a little for getting so high up in the ranks. Just a little. We don't judge at housé d'B-face. That's French for 'house of B-face.'

"Right, right, sorry. Anyway… I think you've said enough. Why don't you enjoy some cheap leek soup."

While I was talking, I had poured her a cup of the soup. For some reason, I don't have any bowls.

She gratefully takes the food I offer and takes an experimental sip… "Well at least it's edible… Thanks…" she said with a nod. I pour myself another cup for myself and nod back.

"Hm. So. How long you plan on sticking around?" I ask in a serious tone. Priorities. I doubt she'll stay the night. But it's worth asking.

"I'm staying the night," she says nonchalantly.

Well shit.

"What was that?"

"I said I'm staying the night. No way I'm getting out with those broads roaming the street. And I ain't paying for a room for one night when I can just take your couch."

My teeth shown, I suck some air through them before responding in a high-pitched voice, trying to imitate her voice as best as I can. "Geez, B-face, thanks for the food and shelter. Do you mind if I also sleep on your couch for one night, pretty please?" I clear my throat and talk in my normal voice again. "Respect your homies, you goon."

Vampy just shrugs and gives me a cold look. "You got a girl sleeping on your couch. That's the closest thing you'll get to a girlfriend."

I—

That's—

Damn.

That was just uncalled for. I mean, it's true! But uncalled for.

"... Just the night. Then you're getting kicked out," I tell her with my eyes narrowed.

She nods again before looking at the TV… I can faintly hear a quiet 'thanks', despite our previous interaction…

Slowly, I take a seat beside her.

Another silence… Yep. Still that awkward air. Still got that distance between us. Not that I mind it… It's more that I feel kind of awkward when it gets awkward… Wait, what did I just say?

Before I can think more about it, she asks me "So wanna watch TV?"

I just nod and shrug. "Eh. Sure. Gonna be a cold day in hell, anyway."

Again with that questioning look. While looking at me, she retrieves the remote and turns the TV on. I have no idea why she's looking at me like that. It is going to be a cold day in hell… Right?

* * *

**Hey, I did say I'd upload this when I wanted... Still... I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but this one just blew up and (believe it or not) that actually discouraged me from uploading... Because this was supposed to be something mindless and small. And I actually realised about three hours ago that I probably shouldn't let the popularity put pressure on me. No promises, but I'll try to be a little more regular with the uploads on this one again... I say that because I know I've been sitting on this chapter 80% done for the past... I dunno. When did the last chapter come out?**

**Well, anyway. Enjoy this chapter. Chapter 5 coming next August, probably. Laters!**

**Update (literally 3 hours after release): Fixed the chicken soup magically turning into leek soup... Err... Yeah.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Breakfast

**Chapter 5 - Breakfast**

Here's a riddle. What's something everyone hate if it works, but they'll hate it even more if it doesn't do its work?

If you guessed Guild Agents, you wouldn't be wrong. But no. I was talking about alarm clocks. One of which is right next to my ear, blearing its alarm to wake me.

Angrily, I slap the top of it and sit up. While I rub my eye with the back of my wrist, I yawn. God… Why did I even set this thing? I have the afternoon shift this week… Ugh.

I step out of bed with nothing but my grey boxers on and sleepily walk to the door. Somehow, I feel like I'm forgetting something.

The door opens… and I see what I was supposed to remember. Vampy. Without her hoodie still. She's on my couch, watching TV. Or she was until I stepped into the room. Her eyes lock with mine before they trail down to my lack of attire. This is probably TMI, but… Morning wood…

Neither of us say anything. I just slowly close the door. Very slowly.

If you don't think about it and no one says anything, it didn't happen. Simple. No need to-... You know. Think about how Vampy saw me in nothing with undies with a raging—

Stop.

Close the door, B-Face. Close it.

Alright. Door: closed. Crisis: averted(?)

With a deep breath, I gather some clothes and dress myself. Nothing too fancy. A plain black T-shirt and some jeans.

Smacking my cheeks twice, I open the door once more and greet Vampy. "Morning."

"Yeah… Morning…"

Okay. We both are acting like that didn't happen. And she's still here. And my TV and consoles are still here. In hindsight, this was a pretty stupid move to let a criminal sleep on my couch while I was sleeping in the other room. That's the second time I let hindsight get the better of me...

Slowly, I take a seat beside her on the couch. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…" she responds in a quiet tone. "Feeling a bit peckish, though…"

As she says this, I am reminded of my own hunger. Right. One cup of leek soup was probably not enough to keep us fed to morning. And I wouldn't dare get another cup from a four-day-old meal.

"I see… Hey," I began, "wanna go out for breakfast?"

Vampy takes her time to respond. "What, ran out of leftovers?"

"Yesterday's soup is still in the fridge… Feeling adventurous, Vampy?"

The girl's face scrunches up. "Pass. It was already stale yesterday."

"Fair enough," I return. "Well? How about it then? We going out for breakfast or…?"

As if she expected me to already know the answer, Vampy nods and says "No need to ask me twice. Not like I got much of a choice here."

… When you put it like that… Geez. Am I that unbearable or something?

I don't let my lack of confidence show. Clearing my throat, I nod. "Right then… Uh. Wanna go then?"

With a short "Eh", Vampy stands up. I join her and lead her to the door. After she left, I lock the door and we both head out.

"So what are we having?" She asks me curiously. "Or rather, what can you even afford?"

I was about to answer until the words found themselves stuck in my throat. "What do you mean, 'what can I afford?' I'm not _that_ poor."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Really," I respond… I don't look that poor… I mean, I don't right? Guys? Anyone?

Vampy looks at me with narrow eyes. Man. Isn't she being a little too crude? I'm uneducated. Not jobless.

Her eyes soon turn to a slightly more friendly gaze. She actually gives me a bit of a smile. A natural one at that. "Alright then. That'll just mean I won't have to feel bad for not treating you again. You can buy your own crap."

There's a short pause before I nod. I have no idea what that was about but I'm not gonna ask. "Okay then… Uhh… We grabbin' breakfast at Nepdonals then?"

She shrugs and stands up, picking the grey hoodie up and putting back on. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way, B-Face."

* * *

Ah yes. Nepdonalds. The only place in Gamindustri that is more miserable than my motel room. To its credit, it's pretty tidy for your average Nepdonalds. Probably because it's morning and, let's face it, no one has breakfast here. Not me, at least.

Well. There's a first for everything. I have something that resembles bacon and eggs… on a bun. And Vampy has, well, a burger with some fries on the side. Guess she missed the memo of having breakfast. Can't help but feel it's a cultural thing… Like… Maybe where she comes from, they always have burgers and fries for breakfast?

We enjoy both our own meals in silence… Again with the awkward air between us. Maybe it's me… But I feel like we should be acknowledging each other's existence.

"Say," I said between my bites. "Real talk. We should probably know each other's name… Y'know. Other than Vampire Girl and Baby-Face…"

A fry pinched between her fingers, Vampy holds it up absentmindedly. "Oh? So you finally gonna toss in the towel?"

"Towel? Err… Sure. Why not." No idea what she means. But I'm going to just nod and smile happily.

"... Wh-Whoa. You got a seriously scary face. What are you doing?"

"I-... I'm smiling…?"

Vampy raises a hand. "Don't do that ever again. Seriously creeping me out. And I've seen some shit."

My smile fades as quickly as it came. I give her an unamused stare instead.

"Oh, now _that _look suits you!" She exclaims boldly. "That's the B-Face I know!"

This slut… Note to self. Never offer Vampy a fake smile. Ever. "So your name?" I ask in a monotone voice.

"Hm? Hrm. You first."

Is she trying to be as unbearable as possible? Good grief…

After a short pause, I let loose a sigh in resignation. "Nathan… Pride. Something I just swallowed to bear with you…" I uttered that last part between closed lips.

Vampy seems… surprised, for one reason or another. She leans forward a little. "Huh. Not a bad name… I like B-Face better, though."

"Just like how I'll like Vampy better than Hilda?"

"That's… surprisingly close, but not my name."

I shrug. T'was a good guess if you ask me. Still… "Alright. I gave you mine. Now give me yours unless you want me to call you Vampy for all of eternity."

Vampy grunts lightly. "Man, here I was thinking the name thing was actually going to be dramatic…"

… Seriously, what's she going on about?

"The name's Linda," she tells me with a straight face. "Better remember it, or I'm calling you out. And no. My last name is not Underling. I don't have a last name."

"O-Of all last names you can have… Why did you specifically pick that of all—"

"Don't question it!" She interrupts.

God-... bless this annoying broad. Not a morning person. At all.

"I see… " I dejectedly answer. It leads to a short pause between us. In which I start to wonder… I don't think I really feel comfortable calling Vampy Linda. It's a fine name, sure. But for the past… undefined amount of time, I've always been thinking of her as Vampy. Guess it won't hurt to try and ask if she'd mind.

Well. Before I can put my idea to the test, Vampy asks me something first. "I'm gonna keep calling you B-Face. You cool with that?"

How convenient. We were thinking the same, I suppose. "As long as you won't mind me calling you Vampy… In which case, I think I'd prefer it." As I spoke, a natural smile crept up on my face. Which actually creeps Vampy out a bit. She doesn't vocalise it.

"Know what? Yeah. Think I'm on the same boat with you here. B-Face."

"... Vampy."

We share a bit of a laugh (I know right? So uncharacteristic!) and return to our foods. Linda, huh? Good to know. But she'll still be Vampy to me. Don't question it.

* * *

**So I tend to write at least something in these author notes... But I got nothing. Uhh... Santa is not.**


	6. Chapter 6 - Uhh

**So I was challenged last time by a reviewer: Nanya, to make something happen. Well, considering the rating of the story, I can't quite do that. But here's some compensation instead.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Uhh…**

"Yeah-heah! Eat shit, you little—! Agh! Yeah! B-Face is gonna send you straight to hell!"

Ahhh, yes. Here we have "The Gamer" (that's me, by the way) in his natural habitat. A majestic creature in all the possible ways.

With their eyes locked on the screen and with their hands choking the controller, mashing the buttons as if pushing them harder would cause their in-game character to hit the opponents harder.

Oh, look at that. This particular gamer seems to be playing Cull of Deputy: Modern War and is hunting other of its species, specifically those within the age range of twelve. With its iconic headset, it communicates to them how much better he is at beating children at a game while they return the gesture by verbally abusing him with every curse word in the English dictionary.

Truly, a magnificent species.

Yeah right. Enough of that. Tl;dr? I got a day off and I'm spending it alone to stomp some kids online in a competitive shooter game.

Look. We all have our guilty pleasures. And mine is stomping toddlers that think they are hot shit… I-In-game! Let that be known! In-game!

In-between rounds, I take my headset off and sigh. Headphones sure know how to give you a headache if you haven't been wearing them for a while.

I take the can of cheap, watered-down beer before me and take a sip… during which, I hear a forceful knock on my door.

Probably the neighbours complaining about the noise. Again…

Well. This lobby sucked anyway. So I exit it before standing up and opening the door. What I see is not my neighbours, but instead… Something indescribable. Je ne se qua. Sublime…?

It's Vampy, alright. But she's drenched in blue jelly. Her clothes stick to her body like glue. She has an eyepatch. And under her arm she carries a small box with the words "Illegal crap" written on it.

We stare at each other. It takes me a moment to notice the unamused look of hers, but when I do, I stammer "Errr-... Do-... Dare I ask to-... Uhh… Wah?"

Vampy raises a hand. "Not. One. Word. Shower. Now."

Oh… Oh hell no. She's gonna come in like that and get the carpet even more filthy than it already is! I can't accept that! Just think of the smell it will give… Actually… What even is that stuff? Does it smell?

…

Do you want to know this, B-Face?

Even as I contemplate whether or not I'd let her in, what choice do I really have? I wouldn't want to be in her shoes and have someone smack the door closed before my face when I'm… in a sorry state like this…

Ultimately, I sigh and step aside. "Just-... Clean up when you're done."

The pale girl grunts as she makes herself home. Oh. Yup. There it is. A dirty, sticky, filthy trail of blue slime constantly dripping from her body. With every disgustingly squishy step she takes, it rains from her body. I can already see it sinking into the carpet. Ah, god… That's going to be an absolute bitch to get out… Along with those other stains I still have to scrub… And-... And that pale spot where I dropped some yoghurt earlier this morning.

Hm. Maybe this was the encouragement I needed to actually start cleaning this place up.

"Damn it, Vampy…" I utter in a whispering voice before accepting my fate and move to the kitchen, pulling out the cleaning products. This is gonna take a while…

* * *

"Alright… That should do it…"

About half an hour later, with running water sounding from the bathroom, I stand in a clean room. Well… Clean for its standards.

"This will do, indeed," I mutter to myself. Wiping my hands on my jeans, I notice the water has stopped.

Not a minute later, Vampy steps out of the bathroom. And-...

"..."

I'm getting flashbacks to the time I stepped into the living room with a raging boner. Why?

Well… Vampy. She's got a towel tightly wrapped around her body. Covering anything from below her armpits to her supple thighs, it clasps against her damp body seemingly so naturally.

Her ashen-grey skin showing, the peachy spots on her shoulders and cheeks don't go unnoticed by me.

That lime, soft green hair of hers, let down with occasional strands in-between the straightness to stand up.

I snap back to my senses with a soft blow into my gut. It's enough to make me wince.

"I _said_… You got another towel or something? Or do you literally have only two towels: One filthy you use and another clean one?"

Right. She wouldn't use mine… What does she need two for, though? Regardless, I nod and go back to the kitchen. Under the sink, where I keep all my cleaning products, I take a neatly folded white towel and hand it to her. Vampy is quick to wrap it over the top of her head and stuff her hair into it. Hum… Yeah, I guess women do that… That-... Thing with their hair… I guess. Why though? Probably should ask next time I see a woman.

Vampy deems my staring unimportant and looks the other way with a faint red tint across her face. She walks to the couch and takes a seat, breathing out as she leans back into it. Her eyes fixated on the TV, which shows the main menu of the game I was playing just moments ago, she speaks without looking at me. "Hey. Could you wash those clothes for me please?"

"What? Don't you want me to get you some spare ones of mine instead?"

"Ha. I have literally seen you in two outfits. Your work clothes and whatever you're wearing right now. Like hell you'd have other clothes."

… Okay, I know she's joking (maybe), but she isn't wrong. I don't actually have more than what I am wearing right now… Probably should fix that.

Well. Guess today's cleaning day. I might as well dump those clothes into the washing machine then.

Okay. Skipping over all that (because we've been lingering on the small stuff for long enough), I finally take a seat beside Vampy and ask: "So can I finally question why the frick you were coated in slime, were carrying that box and have an eye-patch? Or are we never going to acknowledge this ever?"

Vampy gives me a sour look. "I don't-... want to talk about it… Seriously. I don't."

"Oh, c'mon. It can't be that bad," I assure. "If you share it, I'll count that as repaying me for letting you use my shower. Fair, right?"

Like biting on a lemon, Vampy holds that sour, grumpy expression…

"... Fine," she ultimately mumbles. "I'll tell you a bit. But don't you dare tell anyone…!"

Wait, really!? Shoot. I honestly didn't think she'd actually do it. Go, B-Face!

"A-Alright… Well…"

Another awkward silence… And then… Her story began. For the duration, I decide to stay quite.

"You see… I was kinda… Err… 'Taking things that weren't mine' and got caught. So I had to make a run for it. Ran out for the woods. Low level dungeons always have the best hiding spots, because you're in no danger of hitting a high-level mob."

Alright… So far, nothing too weird. That explains where she got the box from, I guess.

"Yeah… But that stupid, maid-ninja-thing-woman chased me all the way to the end of that place. Seriously. She dodged everything I threw at her… It was like her hitbox was only a pixel large. Shit got real close."

Vampy cocks a grin presses her thumb against her collar, pointing at herself confidently. "So what did I do? I jumped off a cliff and—"

"Hold up!" I exclaimed as my eyes shot wide. "You… You fucking jumped off a cliff!? Why!?"

"Uhh… To shake her off! Duh…"

I shake my head and raise my hands. "S-Slow down. You jumped off a cliff and—"

Vampy groans loudly. "There was some water at the bottom. Like… a thin puddle of it. Enough to break my fall (in Leanbox)." She raises a hand and holds her index finger and thumb a literal inch apart from each other to further emphasise how little water broke her fall.

I only got one response. "The fuck?"

"Don't think about it. It's a Leanbox thing."

… You know what? I'd ask. But if I did, I'd probably be considered a creep… err… moving on.

"Okay then," I say after staring long and hard at the pale girl. With a quick gesture of my hand, I tell her to continue.

"Right. So I jumped. She didn't jump after me—"

Like any sensible person would.

"—and when I dropped into that puddle… It was actually way deeper than I thought…" Vampy shyly looks away… Her eyes shoot to the TV as her cheeks reveal just how flustered she is. "So I kinda… sank into it… to my hips… and kept sinking… Because it was slime…"

Umm… I don't think I like where this is going. I don't think I've seen Vampy so… vulnerable before. She's looking down at the ground while her hands rest on her bare knees. Her thighs rub against each other as she nervously shuffles on her seat.

"A-And it turns out it was a Dogoo nest… So a bunch of those little rascals came out of nowhere… with their disgusting… t-tongues… and-... horrible-..."

There's a pause. During it, I quickly realise that perhaps we should end the story there. My imagination is already ruining whatever comes next. Not to mention… I got an odd sense of guilt in my gut while listening to her. Sure, this wasn't my fault… but she didn't want to talk about it. Just look at her. Where's her usual spunk and flair?

So to halt any further trauma from resurfacing, I clear my throat loudly and shake my head. "Hey… I think that's enough, Vampy. No need to stress yourself with that anymore… I'm good…"

"N-Nah, nah… I'm just-... Just a bit sha-shaken… Now I know what I put those broads through," she quietly utters the last part.

I just nod at her. Not sure what she was going on about again, but I don't think I want to ask… Ugh… But back to the main topic. Sounds like she had a seriously rough day…

While scratching my arm, I open my mouth to ask her something. But my gaze falls upon her eyepatch. "Wait… What about the eyepatch? Where did that come from? Did you need it after today?"

"Huh? Oh. Nah, I just thought it looked cool and started wearing it a week ago. Do you like it?"

I blink not once, not twice, but thrice. Seriously? Agh, and that was the part of the story I was looking forward the most to. 'I lost my eye in a fistfight with a dragon' or something…

Still… I can't tell her that I think it looks lame. Not now at least. So I give her a thumbs up and a nod. "Looks nice."

The compliment allowed Vampy to flash a rather precious smile at me. Her head slightly tilted to the right, she gives me a quiet "thanks" before looking away again. I find myself looking away as well… Geez… Is it creepy to say that she looked rather cute for just a split second… Then again… I'd get hard of probably any girl in a towel...

…

"Do you want to stay over for the night?"

Wait…

The words escaped my mouth even before I realised they did. And I already regret them. Shit… Maybe if I apologise now, I can still—

"Yeah… I'll take you up on that offer. No way in hell I'm going anywhere…"

I'm not sure how many times I have been surprised or shocked in the past five minutes. But add this one to the list. "H-Huh?"

"Besides… I kinda wanna stay here for a bit… I feel… Err… Let's just say I feel safe here. Alright?" Almost instantly, she points at me. "But don't go getting any funny ideas, B-Face. I just trust you more than I trust the hobo that made its home next to my hideout!"

You know what? At some point, I should stop being in shock and awe. Let's just accept this. Yeah… It'll be nice to have Vampy sleepover, I guess.

* * *

**Bla bla bla, something about this being super popular, bla bla bla, this had 10k words and 50 follows while my 120k word story is... about to be surpassed by this one. Not sure how I feel about that. Anyway. Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Sleepover

**Chapter 7: Sleepover**

Okay. Small recap. Vampy got abused by Dogoos and is now staying over at my place. Pros? It's nice to have company, Vampy's all cleaned up, and her clothes are on their way to become nice and tidy.

Cons? Vampy wants to use my bed. Yes. My bed. In my own place. Like hell no. No way I'm that nice.

If she wants it, she can pry it from my cold dead hands. And even then, she'll need to work hard for it, because I'll likely have glued it to them, just to keep it safe from her!

"The answer is no and that's final!" I exclaim while I stand between Vampy and the bedroom door with my arms crossed. "This is my place and that means it's my bed. Just take the freaking couch!"

"So let me get this straight. You invite me to stay but I have to take the couch?" Still with those towels on her head and torso, Vampy accusingly points at me. "Dude. That's just wrong. Way to go, punk."

While she does have a point, I can't exactly let her take the bed either. "Well, I don't wear pyjama's. And it's not exactly that warm in here at night. Not to mention I only got one set of covers."

Her hard gaze glares a hole through my resolve. For some reason, I feel like I just dug my own grave.

Vampy folds her arms. "Okay. So you want me to sleep on your couch with nothing but a few wet towels?"

I opened her to ask 'What about your hoodie', but quickly close it again. Teeth gritted, I look to my left… Right where we left Vampy's clothes to dry… I guess she got me.

Reluctantly I sigh. "Fine. Just for tonight… You're lucky that tomorrow is a Sunday and that the place I work at is closed by then."

Plus, I can use this as an excuse to pull an all-nighter. I didn't say it, but I was actually about to rank up in my game… Stomping kids to grind for that sweet, sweet MMR (that's a big-brain gamer term, if you don't know it, you're a filthy casual). Then again. At this time, only the die-hard players like me are online. So it might be better to—

Vampy abruptly snaps her fingers right before my eyes. "W-What?"

"You were zoning out again," she states. "You do that a lot, you know?"

"A-Ah… Well… Just take the bed. It's yours for tonight…" I heave out another sigh while my shoulders droop. "It's gonna be a cold day in hell."

While she rolls her eyes, Vampy puts a hand on my chest and gently pushes me away. "Yeah, cold night yada yada. That's great. Can I go sleep now?"

Tsk. Ungrateful snob… The least you can do is give me a thank you!

Before I can even vocalise my complaint, the door closes. The Vampire-girl has liberated the bedroom.

"... Well then." After I clear my throat, I put a hand on the wall beside the door and bellow "Good night to you too, alright, _Linda_!"

She gives me no response… Which is arguably even more infuriating than her countering with something. So I smack the door with a fist and grumpily walk to the couch…

The nerve on that girl… Who does she think she is? The Pope!? Pah…

Okay. I might be overreacting a little. Can't forget… This is Vampy we are talking about. A girl that grew up as an Admin of ASIC. Someone that problem lived most her life as a street rat. Let's just take a deep breath and calm down. Think about it from her perspective…

…

Fuck that. I want to be salty!

My eyes divert themselves to the controller and headset beside me. Ah yes. My plans to pull an all-nighter.

My hand reaches over to take a hold of the controller. I gently stroke the side of it, almost as if to comfort my poor companion that has lasted so many hours of button mashing and controller clenching. "Only you truly understand me…"

* * *

"... W-... Whu-.. Nh… Wha-...?"

I find myself waking up to, well, nothing but discomfort. My arm feels numb and my legs are a bit tingly. My shirt is covered in crumbs and I can feel just how sticky my lips are from whatever sugary soda I had last night.

Through my eyelashes, I can clearly see the TV. 'You have been kicked due to inactivity'. That says it all. I fell asleep during my gaming session. Again. Great…

As I dust myself off and wipe my lips with the palm of my hand, I groan loudly. I don't know for how long I've been asleep or awake… But the clock reads eleven in the morning. At times like this, I regret doing all-nighters… Or at least my body does.

A few things run through my head. First of all, I wonder why I even wanted to do an all-nighter. Then I remember Vampy and start to wonder why I allowed her to take the bed. From there on out, I just remember every last bit, up until this exact moment… Including all the teabagging I did on some Russian kid. Cyka Blyat? Ha! Dasvidaniya, kiddo!

… Right. Vampy.

I peer into my bedroom carefully. The door's already wide open. And Vampy is nowhere to be seen. My bed is a mess, but other than that, she left the room in a clean state.

"You're welcome…" I utter in irritation. Yet again, she has proven to be as ungrateful as a spoiled toddler. At what point am I going to stop pardoning her for it? I don't ask for much here, right? I'm not the one that's unreasonable here, am I?

"Ugh… I'm getting worked up over nothing," I speak out loud. "Let's just eat something. Yeah… B-Face gets grouchy when he gets hungry."

And to the fridge I go… And to disappointment I arrive. The fridge is empty, safe for a few ingredients, which I do consider trying a few times, but… Not even I can make a meal out of mustard, four eggs and a jar of pickles.

Guess I'll have to go out and get some bread then. Some cooked eggs on toast does sound nice. Could buy some butter to go along with it… A bit of bacon, too… Those cheap strips, I mean. And… And maybe I'll buy some cheese with it too… Ah, hell, I'm just making myself more hungry here. Let's just go…!

I look myself over one last time before going to the door. I swing it open, but quickly recoil as someone is right in my face as I step out. A high-pitched yelp followed my reaction of surprise. It's Vampy… Fully dressed, cleaned up and carrying two brown paper bags with a big yellow N on it.

She seems unimpressed. "Yo…"

"E-Err… Hi? I thought you left…?"

Vampy walks in as if she owns the place. "Yeah. I left to get you this," she announces, dropping the bags on the kitchen counter.

Let's see. It looks like Nepdonals. It smells like Nepdonals. And it sounds like Nepdonads. She got me junk food for breakfast. A big, greasy burger that represents a heart attack in edible form.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not looking forward to eating something like that in the morning. But I can't tell Vampy that. Not after she went out of her way to, well, get me something. Heck, she paid for food and got it for me. I can hardly decline.

I force a smile and nod. "Thanks… I-... Uhh… Yeah. Thanks."

Well then. Let's have it then…

My hand reaches into the bag that I presume is mine. What are we going to get today? A Whomper? A NepWrap? A Fourth Pownder?

None of those, apparently. I pull out two boxes and a cup of hot coffee. Wait a minute…

Inside these two boxes are actually that same breakfast burger I had with Vampy some time ago. The one with bacon, eggs and cheese. And she got me two of them.

Thrice I blink at the rather thoughtful choice in meal. It's eggs. Bacon. Cheese. All on a toasted bun. What are the odds? I was actually just thinking about getting something like this…

"I figured you'd want those things thing," Vampy explains while unveiling her own breakfast—it's nothing but junk food. "You had it last time too, so… There."

My eyes go between Vampy and the food I'm holding. I take it back. This is something quite nice, actually. In a more genuine tone, I speak. "Well… Geez, I-... Thanks… That's actually really thoughtful of you."

Vampy's smile grows from confident to cocky. "Heh! Hey. Anything for a bud who went out of their way for lil' ol' me, right?"

"... Yeah. Anything for lil' ol' you." With a faint smirk, I firmly pat her back twice. Sure. She took my bed without even a second glance. But I guess that's just how she is… Maybe she ain't so bad after all…

* * *

**I'm baaaaaaack~**

**But not for long! Enjoy my horrible levels of procrastination! (No, but seriously. I should take more time to work on these. They hardly take effort and people seem to like them... I'll look into focusing on these more for real this time)**


	8. Chapter 8 - Vendetta

**Chapter 8: Vendetta**

Another week has passed. Things have started to slow down between me and Vampy, mostly because of two reasons… Maybe three, actually.

For one, I have my job, which naturally would limit my free time as one would expect. Second, I don't actually have Vampy's number. so it's not like I can just call her whenever I want, and I don't think she has mine either… And third, while Vampy knows where I live, I have no idea about her place. So I'm reliant on her finding me rather than me hitting her up.

I should probably also mention… As of late, whenever I find my mind wandering off, I find myself wondering about how Vampy is doing. Mostly, I try to push it away. Like, what am I, a creep? Geez.

Regardless. We're at the weekend yet again. I'm on my trusty couch, just gaming the evening away. For once, I'm playing a single-player game. Not a huge fan of them. But there will always be exceptions, yes? Like this one: Grand Left (the) Car V. I just love the story of this one. So realistic. So criminal. Something about is just-... I dunno. Cool?

Yeah. Cool. Sure.

That aside, I'm just driving around in the game until I hear a knock on my door—My actual door, not the door of my car in the game.

The game pauses with and with a low hum I toss my controller to the seat beside me. I think we all know who this is. So let's cut to the chase. Vampy greets me as I open the door. Gotta admit though, I'm actually quite delighted to see her.

"Yo," she greets nonchalantly, raising her hand with a bit of a grin. I nod back at her. She didn't even need to ask me to come inside. With a small step, I make room for her to come in and so she does.

Closing the door behind her, I ask her the first thing that comes to mind. "You been doing well?"

She nods and shakes her head at the same time. A strange, awkward gesture. "Kinda so-so, really. Those broads from the Guild are starting to catch up with me, so I might have to cross borders again and move to another nation."

Her sudden remark made me turn to her with a look of surprise. "Cross borders again? You're not from Leanbox?"

Vampy returns an equally surprised stare. "Uh, no? I'm actually from-... Never mind."

I contemplate pressing the matter of where she is from, but for some reason, something else springs to mind first. "So hold up. You're moving out of Leanbox?" I questioned. "To get away from the cops?"

"Pretty much," she shrugged. "Whenever it gets a bit too hot for me, I just bail."

Huh. Well… I guess that makes sense. If she has to run, I probably should just let her go and do that… Suppose that means we'll be seeing each other a lot less and what not. Unfortunate, but what can you do about it?

…

Why does it feel so hollow to think all that?

My voice is raised without me even realising it. "H-Hey. Uhh…"

Her blood-red eyes peer back at me. Crap. What am I even trying to accomplish here? Sure, her leaving doesn't sit well with me… But, well… Alright. I guess I've grown a bit fond of Vampy. There. I said it… I just want one last goodbye…

"How about," I begin, walking to the girl before me, "you and I-... Uhhh…"

"Me and you…?" Vampy repeats, shooting me a blank stare.

"You and I-... Err… Didn't you drop into a pile of feral Dogoos a while ago?"

Why did I bring this up? What am I doing? Someone kill me…

Clear discomfort shown in her posture, Vampy turns away from me. "I-I'd rather not t-think about that, thanks," she stammers.

"Not that… It's just-… Maybe you want to get some revenge on them before bailing. Whenever I'm feeling stressed, beating up some low-level monsters always gets me in a better mood."

Uuuugh. So corny… B-Face, you actual dumbass… Hey! Get that smile off your face! No! Bad B-Face! She ain't gonna—

"Get some revenge, huh?"

—be interested in-... Oh… This is working…

"Yeah… How about it? You and me? Beat down some Dogoos? C'mon. One last time before you get outta here…"

As if she was contemplating my offer, she quietly grunts. "Didn't you have a day job as a waiter? Like… No offence, but how strong are you?"

Can't say I blame her for her concern. With a confident tone, I respond: "Trust me. I pack a punch. Or at least enough to be smashing through some blue blobs with dumb grins on their… smirks? Faces? How does that expression go again?"

"Yeah, great, uh," she dismissively said, "I guess we can give it a shot then. What you got for arms, anyway?"

Weapons. Yeah. I got those. I raise a finger, gesturing for Vampy to hold on for a second. Going back to the bedroom and going under my bed, I pull out my old quantum physics book—I call it the Death Sentences because every sentence in this 356-page book on basic quantum physics is like trying to kill you with mundanity—along with my trusty pistol… They deliver the coldest days in hell with every shot (read: I use some basic ice magic to enhance the bullets).

As I return, Vampy gazes at both my weapons and nods. As expected. Only rookies would judge someone using a book and a gun… I have seen someone use scissors as weapons. And guitars. So how strange would an old book be to use?

"That'll do… Well. What are we waiting for?" Showing no more patience, Vampy just opts for walking out of the door, heading straight back to the dungeon she had her little incident… Probably.

Well… Here we go. Let's see if I'll embarrass myself… again.

* * *

I still can't believe that worked. But hey. At least now I get to do one last thing with Vampy… We never did any dungeon crawling or monster-slaying before. Done it here and there with some old friends… They're dead now.

…

I'm joking. Relax… We just don't talk anymore. That's what I meant.

Anyway. Back on track. We're out hunting for Dogoos. And… Well… So far, so good. I've got to show off a bit by smacking and crushing a few of those rascals with my trusty old Death Sentences, as well as blow a few of them straight to the coldest day of hell, while Vampy's been smacking a bunch around as well.

I have to say, though, she is incredibly fast. Sometimes I can't even see her moving. Guess she wasn't lying about not being a lowly grunt in ASIC. No. More than that. She probably was a pretty tight rank with how fast she's going. Not to mention, every single one of her blows just one-shots all of these creeps.

Okay, yes, they are Dogoos. And yes, they are some of the easiest mobs in all of Gamindustri. But that's still pretty impressive.

As I smash another four frozen blobs to smithereens, I let loose a long sigh. "How many was that? Forty? Fifty?" I ask Vampy with exhaustion audible in my voice.

"Eh. Probably. I'm not keeping scores," she responds, crushing a Dogoo underfoot. "I just like pummelling these things. Especially after last time. Damn things caught me off-guard. But not this time…!"

She puts her heel on the head of another one. It lets out a soft, quiet bark, fear lingering in its tone. Vampy's red eyes widen and a wide, sick grin accompanies the gaze. With a hard stomp, she murders another innocent pup. Goo shots everywhere and splatters all over her shin.

… Amazing.

Left in awe for the briefest of moments by the slime gore I had witnessed, I shake it off and turn my attention elsewhere. We basically destroyed the entire field of Dogoos by now. Not a single one is left in sight. All that remains are the sad puddles of blue.

"Hey. B-Face."

I turn to Vampy, my eyebrows raised. "Yo?"

A wry smile on her face, she gives me a thumbs-up. "Not bad… Not bad at all. That really did feel good. Glad to have gotten my revenge on these little bastards."

In response, I nod and give her a thumbs-up as well. "I knew you'd enjoy a bit of mindless smashing." While I feel proud of myself, Vampy's face sours up.

"What do you mean you knew?"

Ah. Err… Out of context, that would sound kind of-...

I raise a hand and defend myself. "I just meant that—" Out of nowhere, a Dogoo leaps at my other hand and swipes my gun away from me! It hops off at high speeds, jumping through the bushes and out of sight.

"Ah! My gun!" I exclaim in shock.

Again, Vampy deadpans. "Dude… You just had a Dogoo steal your weapon. A Dogoo…! We need to talk."

"I-, err… L-Later. I'll be right back!" Quickly, I run after the slime with my weapon. The little thief thinks he can outrun B-Face!? Never!

I push various bushes and branches out of the way in my chase. If this thing were any colour but bright cyan, I'd have long lost it… I can still see it in the distance, jumping rapidly to get away from me. But the longer the chase goes on, the closer I get.

The snapping of branches and the rustling of bushes audible, I grit my teeth as I narrowly avoid tripping over a particularly firm root and skip over an awkward stone lodged in the dirt. My own heartbeat throbs like a drum between my ears as I feel the first signs of exhaustion creeping up on me again.

I'm so close now. That thing's but a few inches away from grabbing range. "Almost there…!" I hiss under my breath. My hand stretches out to grab it…! I felt its slimy skin graze my fingertips. Until…

With one final hop, it goes up and down… but never up again, it keeps going down. Too late, I realise that my foot stepped onto nothing as my entire body leans out of the vegetation. My foot steps down on an awkwardly angled slope, resulting in my entire body to fall forward. A steep slope at that…! I can't even see the bottom. Not before I start to cover my head and roll down the painful slide.

The longer I roll, the more I try to catch my bearings and land on my back, but any time I so manage to stop my roll, the steep slope punishes me with some sort of obstacle like a few thorned branches or a very sharp rock sending me right back to step one.

My eyes catch brief glimpses of the thief I was chasing. It's rolling like some sort of slime ball, looking back at me with the dumbest of smiles and my gun in its mouth. I curse that thing in-between the brief pauses I find where I'm not groaning or crying out in pain.

Even looking became impossible at some point as the dust caught itself in my eyes. My mind goes completely blank as it just tries to bear with everything going on.

One moment you're in constant motion… and in another, you'll find yourself frozen in place. Hard coughing escapes my lips as a hand moves to my face… I rub the sand and dust particles out of my hazy vision.

Slowly, I process what had just happened… My back hurts like all hell and I can't even feel my right leg… Both my arms feel like they are burning and there's an incredibly painful sting in my upper left thigh. If it weren't for my instincts to cover my head, it would've been off much worse. Still, it throbs like hell, as if someone was constantly applying pressure to it with a jackhammer.

I open my eyes and am greeted with that cursed smile of the Dogoo I was chasing. We exchange a glance… Mine was of exhaustion and his was-... infuriating.

It drops my weapon right before my eyes before happily skipping off. I can't even make out where it went. My vision is filled with stars and specks of light. I hear my own voice call after it tiredly, demanding for it to come back, but what good would that do… I needed to call Vampy… She's nearby. She can-...-fix me… Just need to give her one-... call…

One call…

There it is…

My phone…

Just one call…

Just one…

… Call…

* * *

**I'm back. Kinda... Woo... I tried something new with this chapter. That being stuff that's a bit more serious. Up until this chapter, there never truly was any real tension going on and I felt like making a change to that today. Let me know if you like the sudden tone shift in the story. It would help me actually get stuff on paper if I have a clear direction where this fic should go.**

**Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Sunset

**Turns out writing a first-person dying scene is actually really hard. Turns out writing one that's slowly dying is even harder. I, uh, did my best, but I'm not satisfied with how it is turning out. So hold on to your pants for the next 1k words, because… Well… This is how it turned out.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Sunset**

For how long have I been here? It feels like days- maybe even weeks… Even if it's just a couple of minutes, I'm trying to convince myself it was much longer than that.

Really, I have no idea how long it has been, but I know I can't stick around here. My whole body feels like it's on fire and if I don't find a way to patch myself up, it's going to get much worse than that. What stops me from patching myself up with my own supplies is the, well, lack of medicine I have on my person… We used my stuff to heal ourselves up from the mediocre damage those damned blue teardrops dealt.

Already, I've tried to call Vampy, only to ultimately remember I don't even have her number… Then there's another problem. I have no idea who to call in her stead… Look. There's a reason I'm a dropout. I'm incompetent and anti-social, alright?

God-... Damn it. This is no time for self-pity. I need to get out of here.

But-... How?

As if to try an answer, I put a hand flat on the ground and push myself up. Alright. My arms aren't broken. Even if they are sore, I can still use them. That's good…

Next, I make an attempt to stand, only to naturally scream out in pain. Quickly, I toss the idea out the window. Shit… Feels like when I broke my leg back in grade school…

…

"Oh, fuck my ass," I quietly hiss. There's no way I'm making it out of here with a broken bone. Not alone at least...

…

I got no real choice here. Biting through the pain, I push myself up enough to be facing the slope I rolled down. It looks even longer from down here.

With a dry throat, I purse my lips and groan. My intent was to cry out and scream for help, but what comes out is nothing more but a pathetic wince of pain, followed by a series of coughs. Breath in, Nate… Breath…

My head feeling lighter than ever, I wait for this drunk sensation to pass. And once again, I try.

"H-Heeelp…" I cried near-silently. Damn it… Louder, kid… "H-... Help…!" I stammer in a more audible voice. Still not good enough…

I take a few sharp breaths and grit my teeth. With a broken, pained voice, I screamed for help, praying Vampy—or anyone—could hear me. "Help me…! Please!"

Again and again, over and over, repeat after repeat, I cry out for help, each scream more desperate than the last. With long pauses in-between for air, I start to wonder if this is even doing anything… I can't move. No one can hear me. And every part of my body is giving a different signal of pain. God-... damn it. Please don't tell me I'm bleeding out… Please-... Just-... Please…

Shoving away the disturbing thoughts of dying alone at the foot of some slope cold and alone, I cry once more to the heavens, begging for help. "Somebody! Anybody! Please! H-... Help me…!"

My breathing fastens… Again I cough up the excess saliva that had clumped up in the back of my dried throat as if I were vomiting it all up.

Long do I wait, hoping-... No… Praying that my last attempt was caught by anyone… Yet, nothing but the quiet rustling of leaves greets me back… along with a thin layer of dust blowing right at my face. As if nature itself was king telling me to just roll and die. Like hell I would… I can't die here… I-... I don't **want** to die here…!

I wipe my face clean of the dust with my tattered sleeve and try one more time. "Vampy! He-Help-... ME!"

My voice echoes around the hollow area… A few birds shoot up and flee from the sudden sound I made… Yet, even after I wait here for so long… Nobody's coming.

Weakly, my eyes close themselves as my gaze slumps downwards. Orange skies and calm clouds above, the fact that I have been here for much longer than I should have becomes clear as day. After all this time, nobody's heard me. No one has passed by. Night will be here soon and I'll be stuck to the ground like a fucking vegetable.

"Damn it… God-... fucking… Damn. It..."

The muscles in my arms were getting rather stiff… I can't hold myself up anymore…

I lay my body down on the dirt and rest the side of my head on it as well, trying to get comfortable. Nobody's coming, huh? Then… This is it? This is where I die, huh? After clumsily chasing a Dogoo that stole my weapon and rolling down some slope filled with nature's finest of deathtraps… I-I'm only seventeen, damn it—I'm too young to die like this!

A few more times do I try to get up but after such a long day of hunting and going through that huge deathtrap… What's the point even?

Well… You gotta throw in the towel sometime, Nate… This is it. It wasn't all bad, right? I mean, look at yourself. You're a proud worker in Leanbox that didn't even get to live half the life most other people of the Guild did. You never got to pursue your dreams of becoming a real Guild Agent because you were just a lazy fatass and weren't good enough anyway. And you never even lost your V-card… Or kissed a girl, for that matter.

…

God… My life is sad.

With a few long breaths, I slowly open my eyes again to gaze into the distance.

And-... W-Wait! Something is shaking me… Someone-... _Someone_ is shaking me! My eyes widen as I gasp lightly. Feeling my everything spring back to life, I try to turn to the person looming over me. It's-... Oh no.

"A-Are you alright, sir?" the brunette asked.

The-... The Guild Agent!? The one I knocked out when Vampy was cornered! What is she doing here!? No. Wait. Forget it. If she's here to help, just take it.

"Help… P-Please…"

That seems to have caught her attention. Wasting no time, she rolls me on my back with care. From somewhere, she pulls some bandages and medicine out… I'm saved. I'm going to make it. Even if it is because of her… Just bite the bullet for now. I never wanted to become a Guild Agent anyway! I lied! I lied to all of you! None of you can prove me otherwise!

"Ugh… Compa's way better at this than me… Glad I paid attention when she-... Hrm…"

I don't know who's Compas you looked at to learn about first-aid, but I'm not complaining. She's doing pretty well, I think… At least the pain is getting better. That's a good thing, right?

As time passes, I find myself just relaxing under her care. It was one hell of a scary experience, but I lucked out. Can't believe all this just happened. I mean, I can, I was there. But-... But I just want to go fucking home now. Good fucking lord.

"What's your name, bud?" she asked me calmly. I didn't hear her at first, so I gave her a low grunt to which she responded by repeating her question. "I asked you for your name."

I take a breath to respond. "It's—"

"B-Face!" a more familiar voice replies… Ahhhhhhhh… Fuck.

I turn to Vampy's loudmouthed voice. She's sliding down that same slope I dropped from… Except she looks cool while doing it.

The agent that was taking care of me slowly stands up with a grim gaze, facing Vampy as she jumps off the slope and takes four steps to slow down. Both sides are locked in some sort of strange stand-off. Multiple times do I alter my look between both, but neither of them paid me any more mind.

"What are you doing here, you broad?" Vampy started. "And what the hell have you done with B-Face?"

"B-Face, huh?" The Agent repeats. "First of all… I found him like this. Second, whenever I see you hanging out with anyone, it's basically bad news for everyone else. What are you up to?"

You can just hear the tension between these two… Maybe there's more bad blood between them than I first thought. Which is only going to be worse for my case.

Vampy slowly walks up to us both, a mean frown cast upon her face. "Oh, just beat it, will you? We're friends. Nothing more."

"And you'd think I would believe that?"

"Does he look remotely suspicious to you?"

The Agent gives me a quick scan with her eyes before raising an eyebrow. "Y-... Yes?"

… Rude.

"No. No he doesn't," Vampy grunts as she stops a few feet away from us both. "C'mon. We're not going to make this ugly now, are we?"

There's a short pause between them both. I gaze up at both of them, a knot in my throat muting my voice. I'm usually all for violence, but I don't want Vampy to get in a scuffle because of my sorry ass…

Their pause is still going… I don't know what those mean, menacing glares mean… But I really got a bad feeling about it. I should just say something. Anything. Umm…

Gulping twice in a row, I found the courage to speak up. "H-Hey…"

Both girls look down at me. "I don't w-want to break the moment… b-but can I go home? Please? I'm really tired…"

Another pause. They both give me a stern look that made me feel like I should've just died on impact after rolling down that slope.

The Agent was the first to speak. "Do you know where he lives?"

"Huh?" Vampy uttered.

"I asked if you know where he lives. I'll look the other way for now… But if I catch you both red-handed, you'll know what's going to happen."

Vampy just clicks her tongue as she kneels down to help me up on my feet. "Yeah… Alright…"

I am lifted up with one arm around her shoulder. I still feel quite a bit of pain in one of my legs. But I can't ask a girl smaller than me to carry me all the way. Just live with it, Nate.

There's one last glare between both before Vampy and I turn away from her. I can't help but quietly thank the Agent for letting us go. I think she heard me. I hope…

But… I guess this happened… Vampy and I slowly wander out of the dungeon to get me back home. Deep down, I'm happy. But another part of me wonders about what'll be next.

* * *

**On a short side note, shoutout to this LsSL guy. Your review rocked!... Every review rocks, really. And I do appreciate any and all feedback. But yours was especially awesome! **


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